Backcountry Finale's Wild Western Adventure

Wild Night Out

‍Michi and Genc hopped on board, and we reached out to Mirco, our pals from Nava Freeride, for a little assistance. Mirco came through like a champ, picking us up in Finale on a Friday night and chauffeuring us to Ormea. The game plan was simple (sort of): crash in Ormea for the night, tackle the pedal up to Monte Saccarello the next day, then rock 'n' roll down to Molini di Triora. Once we hit Triora, we'd set up our hammocks wherever we could find a spot, do some shuttle rides with the Molini crew (shoutout to Atipico Outdoor Escapes), and, around noon the next day, cruise on down to Arma di Taggia for the home stretch.

Now, our plan was pretty epic... until the first night in Ormea. We ended up at the Albergo Nazionale, and it turned out they had a bar that made gin & tonics the size of our helmets. On top of that, rumors were swirling about a massive party up at Colle di Nava.

You can probably guess how that party story ends – someone blaming their upset stomach on chilly mountain air.

Day 1 - From Ormea to Molini di Triora

Despite the post-party struggles, we hit the road the next morning, with a little help from Mirco's generosity and his car with a trailer. That 1,000-meter climb to Saccarello didn't seem as daunting with wheels on our side.

The uphill grind was no joke, but we finally reached La Terza Hut. It was a bit of a battle, but we conquered it.

Once we touched down in Triora, we were all about finding a proper shower. The problem was that showers were as rare as snowflakes in July. Thankfully, we managed to scrounge up a bathtub and freshen up as best we could.

Post-shower, it was time for the real deal: aperitivo and dinner. This time, we kept things in check, learning our lesson from the night before. Little did we know that finding a spot to hang our hammocks would become another mission. We wound up camping next to a lively bunch of 30 Peruvian party animals who didn't call it a night until 4 in the morning. Not exactly the most restful sleep ever.

Day 2 - From Molini to Finale Ligure… almost

The next morning, we packed up and arranged for some shuttle runs (big ups to Asia for the lifts). Early afternoon, we began our journey back, hitting one of the sickest, longest trails we'd ever seen. As we got close to the coast, we were just 70 clicks from Finale, with smooth asphalt roads ahead.

But, oh, the journey back had a surprise in store. Near Imperia, Camilla (Michi's better half) invited us to a killer aperitivo. Seriously, we couldn't turn that down.

And so, we wrapped it up with a train ride back home, capping off a couple of wild days we wouldn't soon forget.

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